Barbarians at the Gate

As David at least gets set for another semester, he and Jeremiah reconnect to catch up on a mix of timely topics from China and the US. They explore the declining number of Chinese students studying in the US and the cautious return of American students to China, offering insights and practical advice on how to introduce China to American students in nuanced ways. They discuss the difference between fostering an appreciation for Chinese culture and people versus endorsing government policies. The conversation also delves into the current US presidential race and how it’s being portrayed on Chinese platforms like Weibo, focusing on reactions to Vice-Presidential candidate Tim Walz’s China ties. Finally, they wrap up with a lively discussion on Beijing’s North-South axis being added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, considering what it means for the city’s identity and global recognition.

In this episode, Edward Wong, diplomatic correspondent and former Beijing Bureau Chief for the New York Times, joins us to discuss his new book, Edge of Empire: A Family’s Reckoning with China [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/602734/at-the-edge-of-empire-by-edward-wong/]. Edward’s father, Yook Kearn Wong, lived through the Japanese occupation and the Communist Revolution in China. Captivated by Mao’s vision of a powerful China, he served in the People’s Liberation Army during the Korean War and later served in Xinjiang. By 1962, disillusioned with the Communist Party, he made a daring escape to Hong Kong. Wong’s book is one part a family memoir and one part a reflection of Edward's experiences in China both as a student and as a journalist. We discuss the legacies of empire, China’s frontiers, what the Qing Dynasty means for China today, and how memories of the past continue to be used and misused in the PRC.

In this episode, we welcome back a friend of the podcast, Jonathan Chatwin [https://jonathanchatwin.com/], to discuss his new book, The Southern Tour: Deng Xiaoping and the Fight for China's Future.  Since the Emperor Kangxi made his southern tour in 1684, many emperors and Chinese leaders have undertaken similar inspection tours, including Mao, Deng, and Xi Jinping. Deng’s southern tour took place in the backdrop of contentious debates about his radical restructuring of the economy in the Reform era. Jonathan describes how Deng used the tour to reinvigorate his market reforms amidst the turmoil after 1989 and the difficulties with squaring the tenets of socialism with the new agenda of wealth creation.  Our conversation also covers Deng’s legacy, Xi Jinping’s attempt to downplay Deng’s role in the historic reforms, and the obstacles of publishing a China book in the current Sino-skeptic environment.   Publisher’s link for The Southern Tour: Deng Xiaoping and the Fight for China's Future [https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/southern-tour-9781350435711/] Our previous episode with Dr. Chatwin discussed his book, Long Peace Street: A Walk in Modern China [https://blubrry.com/barbarians/72405635/a-long-walk-across-an-expanding-beijing/] Deng-zilla Poster! [https://chineseposters.net/posters/e15-292] from Chineseposters.net

This episode features a lively conversation with Fan Yang, Professor of Media and Communication Studies at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, about her new book Disorienting Politics: Chimerican Media and Transpacific Entanglements [https://press.umich.edu/Books/D/Disorienting-Politics3].  The term “Chimerica” is a portmanteau word, blending “China” and “America.” The neologism denotes the economic, political, and cultural entanglements of the two countries. Fan Yang uses the concept of “Chimerican media” to explore how the conflicts and tensions between the world’s two superpowers are played out in movies, television series, journalism, and media products that are often viewed by people in both countries.   Drawing upon media examples such as House of Cards, The Martian, and Firefly, Prof. Yang shows how the tendency of American media to portray the Chinese state as a racialized “other” tends to complicate the two countries' increasing geopolitical entanglement. The conversation also touches on the reconceptualized Netflix version of The Three Body Problem and the complex reactions on both sides of the Pacific to the depictions of Cultural Revolution violence in the series.

This episode represents a new direction for the podcast, recorded on the eve of Jeremiah’s move to a new home base in Geneva. We start with a retrospective snapshot of the podcast’s beginnings – with many episodes recorded under the backdrop of COVID-19 – and then segue into our perennial concern, the plight of academic exchange in China, for which our consensus was “cautious optimism," while accepting an unsatisfying "new normal.” We sign off with future plans and ideas for the next phase of Barbarians at the Gate.